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Monday, 10 June 2013

EFCC Signs MOU with Global Fund

The Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission, EFCC, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, with
the Office of the Inspector General of the Global Fund to facilitate exchange
of information on fraud and abuse of office in relation to grant programs managed
by the Global Fund targeted at fighting Tuberculosis and Malaria in Nigeria.

Under the MoU which was signed
on behalf of the Fund and the Commission by the duo of Norbert Hauser, head of
the office of the Inspector General, Global Fund and Ibrahim Lamorde, Chairman,
EFCC, respectively, both parties will cooperate by providing information and
intelligence to each other, which may help in the investigation and prosecution
of anyone suspected of engaging in fraud and abuse of Global Fund grant funds
and related criminal activity.

Terms of the agreement
stipulates that both parties will consult regularly, in particular to exchange
information regarding new areas of potential cooperation and other joint
activities falling within their respective mandates. All information exchanged
will be treated as strictly confidential.

The Memorandum stipulates that
any information exchanged will not be used as evidence in any judicial
proceedings without the express prior consent of the party providing that
information.

In addition to exchanging financial and criminal intelligence, both
parties may cooperate in other ways, including the exchange of general
information regarding fraud, abuse and other economic crimes.

Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, who said the Commission is not just helping the
Global Fund in signing the MoU, said "What we are doing is helping ourselves.
It is our moral obligation to give you our support and cooperation."

On his part, Hauser said that
the signing of the Memorandum with Nigeria, a country where Global Fund grants
are being distributed on a large scale, is sequel to similar agreements with
Malawi and Tanzania. “This is also an expression of country ownership in its
most positive form”, he explained.